Still,struggling to get off Venlafaxine

Hi Patricia, thank you for your response. And thanks for the good wishes. I'm feeling brighter today and have eaten a meal. All weekend I ate ice lollies, loads of them. My mental health worker today told me I should not have been asked to come off the Venlafaxine so quickly ...(it was a week) So I'm starting again with a much lower dose. I wish professionals would talk with each other. Anyway, grateful for your response. Julia 

I was uncertain I could do it by going on half dose for a month but apart from the brain zaps it worked It must have been horrible feeling unable to walk across a room!

Hello I was also on Venlafaxine 75mg for two and a half years. i withdrew by reducing to 37.5mg for a month the outcome was good but the "brain zaps" were a part of it! These did go by the end of about six weeks and my depression lifted I wish you well in your efforts

Judy, what a lovely response. So lovely to hear you have managed to get off this drug. Sadly, I'm still struggling and I've actually put my dose up to 37.5 every other day and then 18.5 the following day. My GP simply refuses to believe I'm struggling and tells me, MOST people manage to get off these tablets fine. If this was the case, then why was there a petition last year that went to Parliament to stop this drug being given out. It's evil but my difficulty is work. I can't afford to take the time out to come off the drug. It's causing me hell. I'm back at the GP next Monday and I am going to ask if he can put me on something else to replace it. Probably asking for more problems..but I'm desperate. I've tried 3 times to get off Venlafaxine and each time I end up having an awful time. I've never known crying like it, and I could sleep and sleep and sleep. I do take the Omega 3 and a lot of people have recommended this. 

As I work from home, I may have another attempt but on holiday next Thursday and I don't want to spoil my time with my family. My daughter and granddaughters are coming with me, and I can't wait to spend this valuable time with them. They are only little, 2 years and 8 weeks. 

Your advice is so helpful, you have no idea. I'm always grateful when people take the time to write to me offering support through this tougher journey.

I do also have some adrenal support. (Been reading a lot about this area). I feel absolutely frazzled, but I will have another go after the holiday...(If I find the strength)

Thankyou so much for your reply. Take care and I'm delighted you came through. Another success!! Well done. Speak again. Julia 

I've heard quite a few people recommending going on to fluoxetine to help with tapering off of venlafaxine so that may be an option for you...

Hi Julia, I really do sympathise with you and will help in any way I can. This is actually the first time I have ever been on a site like this and was so surprised to receive a reply....straight away....even better. 

I am also taking fish oil which seems to be helping me.

Can I ask Julia?  Were you prescribed this drug for depression. I know I may sound like an odd question to ask, but I was given this drug, which I didn't want, for anxiety....which as it turned out was caused by something else, and has since been eliminated....thank goodness. I really do feel that the length of time you are on the drug and also the dose play a part in the severity of the withdrawal symptoms and the time it takes to come off.

I am also very aware of diet and number of meals/snacks you have to have per day. I was advised to eat small meals but to eat every 3 hours which goes a long way into keeping your blood sugar balanced. If this is not balanced you can experience symptoms similar to withdrawal? My meals are mostly protein which veg.....I stay away as much as I can from carbs and sugar as these two can spike your blood sugar balance in the wrong way.

Hope this helps Julia and I look forward to hearing from you...either way...up or down.

Take care and pamper yourself when you can.

Best wishes

judy

Hi Judy. Thank you for your super quick response. I turned to this site out of sheer desperation, mainly due to the Venlafaxine withdrawal. Yes I was diagnosed with depression initially when I was about 19 and I have struggled for many years. (I'm now 52) I had a severe relapse in 2013 and this was the first time I went on Venlafaxine. The following year, I came off as I hated the side effects. I was always sweating, it was embarrassing, although it did pick me up when I first went on it. At first I thought it was amazing as it lifted me so quickly and I felt somewhat normal for a while. Then it began to wear off as most of my antidepressants have tended to do.  I went cold turkey, completely unaware of the withdrawal impact. And I was so ill. I honestly thought I was dying. I remember having a conversation with a paramedic (a friend had called one out convinced I was dying too) and I could not tell him my date of birth. So was taken to hospital and when I told them I had come off the meds 3 weeks previously, they told me about the withdrawal. To be honest, I was fascinated (when well) and started reading up all I could about this drug. And vowed never to go on it again!! Sadly, another relapse in 2015 and another referral to the mental health team who gave it to me again. Of course I had forgotten the dreadful side effects and only remembered the first few weeks which had picked me up so fast. Once feeling better in 2016, I asked to come off again but was not allowed at that point. Another relapse followed at the beginning of 2017 and placed on Bupropion 300mg alongside the Venlafaxine also 300mgs. I was finding this too much and it was all impacting of my memory. I was struggling to recall information, had no focus and couldn't hold information so once again back to GP and begged him to take me off the Venlafaxine. He has finally agreed and began tapering me. Each time has failed. I've had 3 attempts and each time I have ended up so ill and then have to go back on it. I get down to a low level, (currently at 37.5) and one day take that amount, the following day, I take half. It is just holding me but I'm still waking with headaches every morning which force me to wake up. I'm seeing my GP next Monday, I know he is expecting me to be on the lowest dose now, but I haven't managed it. And I'm worried that a drug can do this to me. I used to be fit and trim, loved good food but most days I barely have the energy to do keep fit anymore. And I miss it so much. It was my saving grace, as was walking my 3 King Charles Cavaliers. (I write Court reports) and my energy is taken up by this. There doesn't seem to be the energy for both, it's either one or the other. I miss having the energy. I'm lucky enough to be a Nanna to 2 beautiful baby girls. But sometimes I can't see them as I have to focus on a report and then my energy is depleted. I thought the Bupropion would give me the energy, it did for a while but that's worn off now and I'm a stone heavier since being on it. And my GP insists you do not put on weight on this drug. My GP also suspects I'm bi-polar. And wants me off antidepressants and is pushing me towards a med for bi-polar. His favourite appears to be Lithium. This drug scares me, in fact most of the bi-polar meds scare me. But antidepressants really do not work for me, or they do work for a short time. It all feels so hopeless at the moment, and I'm struggling with very low mood again, especially tears, which just pour. I'm tearful now reading this. horrid story. But thank you for allowing me to just spill my thoughts to you. Now it's your turn to tell me your story. (If you want to). I hope you are well. Take care and I look forward to hearing from you.

julia 

Hi Lucy, thank you for your advice. I'm going to suggest this to my GP next week when I see him. It's just not working for me to come off even after a low dose, I just can't do it. My GP seems a little unsympathetic towards me coming off this drug, and thought I would be be off by now. When I spoke to him about this website and other people's experiences, he literally dismissed it saying 'most people do not struggle'. I took this to mean, it's just a few that struggle. But I'm getting the impression there are a huge majority of us that really struggle with this drug. It's very hard when my own GP does not appear to be very understanding and just thinks it's not that hard. Anyway, I'm going to wait to see him next Monday, I'm armed with some information so we will see what happens and will let you know. Thank you for your advice. Much appreciated 😊😊Julia 

Last time I came off, when I got down to 37.5mg I bought a pill cutter from the chemist. Cut them into quarters and dropped by a quarter every couple of weeks. When dropping the final quarter I went to every second day for a couple of weeks.

The last 37.5 always seems to be the hardest. If your GP refuses to let you try another drug to help just take it really really slowly and you'll get there. Your GP sounds like a bit of a tw@t if you don't mind me saying. Is there a different doctor in the practice that you could see?

😂😂😂😂Lucy, that really made me chuckle!! Yes he is a bit of a t**t. I hadn't thought of asking to see another GP...and I might just do that. But you did make me laugh. Bless you x 

Hey Julia, just reading the posts between you and Lucy.....and hey you can laugh, giggle.....that is a real plus in my books. I try to laugh every day. I was in the dentists yesterday and truly zoning out (a pet hate of mine that chair) eyes closed etc and there he was above me (beautiful eyes, and face) with his syringe at the ready to give me an injection and when I opened my eyes we both started laughing.....it certainly eased my tension......I still didn't like it, and the discomfort afterwards when your mouth goes all cockeyed, and you can't drink or talk properly is very entertaining for some. Anyway I diversify Julia, as with others my story is long and involved, but cut short.....I was 50 when diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, after treatment, and many months of dizziness I was finally diagnosed with a slow growing brain tumour, throw into the mix the menopause and diagnosis of an under active thyroid and you can imagine all was not brill in my life.....But I have a very supportive husband and 3 beautiful girls and I got thro it all but had high anxiety, which as you can imagine was treated with ANTI DEPPRESSANTS......not my drug of choice but hey who am I??? At this point I did my own research and found.....not the first time I may add....a wonderful woman (much younger than me) who treats me as a whole and not separate organs needing attention. So that's it cut short Julia. I am healthier and happier and fitter than I have been for a very long time. It has been a long road that I am travelling and it is not yet at the end (I want to go on a lot longer) as like you I have a grand daughter who is the light in my life, and we get on incredibly well, she is only 2 1/2 but she has the same sense of humour as me and is very intelligent,. When we are together we laugh all the time, so I have a lot to live for. 

Go to see the GP on Monday Julia and tell him what YOU want and need.....I agree with Lucy only I would say he is a god like jumped up TXXT, who lords it over his patients and only HE knows best. I don't go to GP's if I can help it.....I feel and probably know more than they do....especially about my own body....let's face it Julia 10 minuets is all you get to poor out how you feel/felt since the last time you saw him/her, it's not a lot is it, and for them to give you a diagnosis based on that short time....it's no wonder they get it wrong....and which drug giant is giving handouts for prescribing their drug Mmmm. Get yourself thro this Julia....and you will.......what is it that is making you depressed? Can you get to the bottom of it? Maybe when you do you will find the solution!!?? Smile, laugh and love xxx

Judy, what complex lives we lead. And wow! You have certainly been through the mill. You seem to think the same way as I do to a degree. I also have a granddaughter of 21/2 years who I'm very close to. I was a single mother raising my daughter, and now she has given me 2 granddaughters. The youngest is tiny at only 8 weeks, but the older child and I have a special bond. It is a bit like having my daughter again as a youngster. I was there when she entered the world and as I work from home, I do get to see them often. I live nearby to them too. I'm also the proud owner of 3 Cavalier  King Charles Spaniels who are my life especially during relapses. They are all currently snoring their furry little faces off whilst I read, email and work. Like so many others Judy, I grew up in care and suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of my parents. Both have had an enormous impact on how I see the world. My mother was and still is an emotionally cold woman who criticised me harshly and never showed me any other emotion other than her anger. My father was a violent bully who beat her, and my little brother and I were often woken in the night due to their fighting. My father is a different man now, he seems to have mellowed as he has gotten older. My mother is still the same and can not understand or accept responsibility for what she did. Anyway, we were removed and both placed in care. And I went off the rails for a long time, very angry at the world. Now at the age of 52, I have been left with PTSD, a personality disorder, depression and high levels of anxiety. I am also in the menopause., which I know has a huge impact on depressive disorders.  Yet I still raised my daughter in a safe loving environment, provided well for her, we holidayed all over the world, and took myself off to University to earn myself a good degree. So I didn't waste all of my life. But I do suffer at times with the depression ...it just won't end. I seem to relapse more now that I'm older, and I feel I am heading for another. Anyway, thank you for sharing your life events with me. I will let you know what happens on Monday. I am armed and dangerous...I have research! And yes I quite agree..GPs do not know me as well  as I know me. Speak soon Judy and take care. Julia 

Judy, are you still around? 

Hi Julia, yes I'm still here. I was waiting for you as I knew you had your grand children and that you were going to the docs. How is it all going? Xx

Hi Judy. I have just returned home from my trip to Spain for a week with my grandchildren and my daughter so I apologise for not updating you. I had a lovely time especially with the sunny weather...do love a bit of sun. But missed my dogs dreadfully. Whilst out there, I felt mood lower so kept the dosage at 37.5 during the week but returned to half that yesterday. So...my appointment didn't go to plan. In fact I ended up saying what i really felt, that I didn't feel listened to, and I didn't feel believed about the coming off Venlafaxine. I told him that there are too many people struggling to come off this drug and that he needed to do some up to date research on the subject. And then I left. My key worker phoned me later that day and said that he had agreed to continue me with the Venlafaxine at a slower rate and that I was to taper off the Bupropion over the following week. Which I have nearly done. He also gave me other options to research, and although he still recommended Lithium, he accepted when my worker advised  him, 'that is not an option'. 

I then advised my worker that I do not wish to see him anymore, and requested another Doctor. I will find out on Monday who the next doc is. 

I reflected on all he had said over the past months and really feel he did not believe me about my difficulties with the withdrawal of Venlafaxine, I don't need that, I need to feel trusted, so I feel I have done the right thing in requesting a new doc. 

I have researched other options that he has suggested, one being Reboxitine ...it seems a good long term drug so may look into that. But I do have other options to research which I will spend the weekend doing. I'm going back on Tuesday to see my worker..she really is on my page so I feel she has my best interests at heart.

Anyway, how are you? All good I hope? 

Sorry, a bit rushed tonight, still very tired from travel, although it wasn't a long one, I'm still so tired! Slept most of the day today but have to work hard over the next 3 days to complete a report needed for the 26th. 

Look forward to hearing from you. Xx 

Hi Julia

good to hear from you. Glad you had a good time with your grand children albeit a little up and down due to your mood. It is good that you can sleep! When I am in a 'state' I can never sleep, the lack of which only exacerbates feeling crap!! So good on you for being able to sleep. The only thing I would ask....is it refreshing sleep? I'm not sure what I can say to you trying another drug? Do you feel in a place to not take anything? How are you feeling mentally and physically?  I really feel for you Julia and hope and wish that whatever you decide to do is right for you.

it seems a bit callous to say that things are good for me. I have completely withdrawn from the horrible😈 V drug and will,do all in my power not to take anything like it again. I am now on natural supplements only and feel good about me and life.

i hope you can get to a place where you feel you are moving forward!  I look forward to hearing how you get on with your new doc and hope and pray that you can work with him/her. BW Judy x

I'm on around 16mg per day, been cutting back really carefully! If I don't take this a day I'm feeling dizzy, and my head feels like a zzz feeling when I stand up or walk. I feel very strange, no anxiety or depression just this weird feeling in my head and often a headache. I wish I could piggy bag on something else to help with these feelings, although the Dr did put me on Mirtazapin to try! I was walking around in a complete fog so stopped them immediately. I just want off these horrible Venlafaxine!

You and me both Shirley ...I understand those zzzz feelings too. It's the worst drug ever and I think this is my 5th attempt at getting off. I too feel strange, uncontrollable crying, and deep sleep that lasts for hours. I've just been reduced to 18.5 and it's all I'm allowed so I'm really trying to cope. I'm advised that Omega fish oils are very helpful so I've just upped my doseage to 4-5000 a day. Stay as strong as you can, don't plan your days yet, give yourself time and I'm here if you need to chat. Thinking of you xx